Nikkei flat in choppy trade

TOKYO, March 23 (Reuters) - Japanese stocks were flat in
choppy trade on Wednesday morning after Tuesday's attacks in
Brussels stoked appetite for the safe-haven yen, which trimmed
the profit outlook for exporters as it gained on the U.S.
dollar.

The Nikkei share average was flat at 17,055.52
during midmorning trade.

"We anticipate some marginal strengthening of the yen
against the euro and the dollar today following the terrorist
attacks in Brussels," said Martin King, co-managing director at
Tyton Capital Advisors.

"But based on what we've seen in the recent past, we expect
the attacks to have only a nominal effect on the markets."

Confidence at Japanese manufacturers eased in March,
signaling that yen gains and slowing growth in China and
emerging markets are hurting exporters, a Reuters poll showed on
Wednesday.

Shares of some major exporters were lower as the dollar hung
near 112.20 yen. Panasonic Corp fell as much as 1.5
percent, while shares of Nissan Motor Co Ltd slipped
1.1 percent.

The Topix subindex for real estate shares bucked the
morning's subdued mood, climbing as much as 1.2
percent a day after a government survey showed Japan's
nationwide commercial land prices rose for the first time in
eight years in 2015.

The broader Topix was flat at 1,369.39 with 19 of
its 33 subindexes in negative territory during midmorning trade.